ESPN.com - Golf Online - Inkster vaults into lead with late birdie run

Associated Press
Saturday, June 24

WILMINGTON, Del. -- Juli Inkster's daughter reminded her first thing Saturday morning that it was her 40th birthday.

Big deal.

Inkster simply rolled out of bed, made breakfast for her two kids and then pieced together the best score of the LPGA Championship, a 6-under 65 that gave her a share of the 54-hole lead with Wendy Ward and a chance to win yet another major championship.


	Juli Inkster pumps her fist after her third straight birdie on the 18th hole closed out a 7-under 65 on Saturday.

"Forty has been a lot easier than 30," said Inkster, referring to a time when she was struggling to balance motherhood and a career on the LPGA Tour. "But 40, I feel pretty good."

Inkster celebrated in style, closing with three straight birdies to pull her out of the pack and into a tie at 7-under 206 with the 27-year-old Ward.

A year ago, Inkster won the LPGA Championship to become only the second woman to complete the LPGA's modern Grand Slam. She plans to scale back after the Solheim Cup, but looks like she wants to go out with a bang.

"Any victory at this stage of my career is gravy," said Inkster, who can become the first player since Patty Sheehan in 1984 to successfully defend an LPGA Championship.

Ward made four straight birdies amidst a wild collapse by Laura Davies for a 3-under 68, putting her in the final pairing of a major championship for the first time. Ward has only one top 10 in a major, a tie for fourth in the LPGA two years ago.

"I have just as good a shot as anyone else to win tomorrow," Ward said.

Jan Stephenson, the 48-year-old Australian who hasn't won in 13 years, had a 2-under 69 and was at 208. Nancy Scranton was another stroke back after a 67.

Karrie Webb, going for the second leg of the Grand Slam and her third straight major championship, bogeyed the last hole for a 69 that left her at 211, five strokes back.

"I'm still in contention," said Webb, who came from five strokes back to win the du Maurier Classic by two shots in August. "That bogey on the last hole makes my job a lot harder tomorrow. I've got to pull out a low one. Hopefully, that will happen tomorrow."

The gallery serenaded Inkster with "Happy Birthday" at every turn, a slight annoyance when she three-putted the first hole for bogey to fall back to even par.

"When you're 5 or 6 under, it sounds a lot better," she said.

She got there with seven birdies over her last 12 holes, starting with a 25-foot birdie on the seventh and a 4-iron into 2 feet on No. 8.

Just like she did in the final round last year, when Inkster finished eagle-birdie-birdie in the final round, she saved her best stuff for the final three holes. She started with a nice chip to 2 feet for birdie on No. 16, then a 7-iron into 12 feet on the 17th and a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th that was the best present of all.

"I got myself back in the ball game," Inkster said. "If I have another solid round, I've got a good shot. You definitely have to shoot under par tomorrow. You have to make some birdies."

Ward got to 8 under on a hot, sticky day with a 4-foot birdie putt on the 15th, but she drove into the trees on the par-5 16th and took bogey.

That was something Davies could relate to all day.

The longest hitter in women's golf can hit driver at DuPont Country Club more than any other course in America. That finally caught up with Davies in the third round when, despite hitting 30 yards farther than Ward, she started missing fairways at an alarming rate.

While Davies is strong enough to advance the ball out of 4-inch thick rough, she could not control her shots into the greens and often left herself long, difficult putts for birdie or 10-footers for par.

She finished with a 75 and was at 211, among the eight players within five strokes of the lead.

Ward finally caught Davies with an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 8, and seemingly brought several players -- Webb included -- back into the hunt.

Only Ward was just warming up.

She knocked in another 18-footer for birdie on the ninth, a 4-footer on No. 10 and then completed her string with another 18-footer on the 11th. That might be good practice for the final round.

"I have a feeling with Juli and others creeping behind us, I think you're going to see a couple of low numbers up there," Ward said.

Ward has been around long enough to know what to expect from Inkster, whom she considers the most competitive player on tour.

"She's not going to make a lot of mistakes," Ward said.

Inkster has been through this routine before. A victory Sunday would be her sixth major, as many as any other active player on the LPGA Tour. Pat Bradley, Betsy King and Patty Sheehan also have won six.

"Wining this tournament ... you've played the best," Inkster said. "Everyone strives to win a major."

Divots

Inkster and Ward share the same swing coach, Mike McGetrick.

Ward needed a ruling on her 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th because of what looked like loose impediment in the line of her putt. And it was. "Bird poop," she said.

Pat Bradley and Betsy King, the Hall of Famers who made an appearance on the leaderboard in the first round, returned on Saturday. Bradley, the Solheim Cup captain, had a 67 to get to 211, while King had a 67 and was at even-par 213.